Electric propulsion and control for motor-boats.



J. LAMB.

ELECTRIC PROPULSION AND CONTROL .FOR MOTOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1913. 1 ,133,977.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Elvwewtoz James Lamb.

l vi tmwoeo 7H2 NORRIS PETERS 60., FHOTG-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

J. LAMB.

.1 1 33 ,977. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

aMuM vto'z JZn'nes L 62 mb I q/vi tmzoow mlzm/X IHE NORRIS FETERS 60., PHOTO LITHOH WASHINGTON. D. C.

J. LAMB.

ELECTRIC PROPULSION AND CONTROL FOR MOTOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1913. 1,1 33,977.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Ju/ws L amb wilt-macaw wanna THE NORRIS PETERS CO-I PHOTO-LITHII, WASH/NORTHv D Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

UNITED STAI'FES FATENT @FFIQE.

JAMES LAMB, OF CANTON, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC PROPULSION AND CONTROL FOR MOTOR-BOATS,

Application filed January 14, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES LAMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Propulsion and Control for Motor-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric propulsion and control for motor boats, the object in view being to provide practical and reliable mechanism, whereby a boat containing an electric motor may be propelled by means of an electric current generated at any suitable point and conveyed to the motor in the boat by overhead current wires, combined with a truck or carriage movable along an overhead track, running in substantially parallel relation to the current wires, and a flexible electrical conductor cable supported by said truck and receiving its current from said wires and furnishing the same to the motor with which the boat is equipped.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with the truck hereinabove referred to, a motor for actuating the truck independently of the motor boat, together with switch controlled circuits within reach of the person in the motor boat, whereby either one of said motors may be cut in or cut out independently of the other, or both motors cut in so as to operate simultaneously. The arrangement referred to avoids the necessity of the motor boat dragging the overhead truck, or the overhead truck dragging the motor boat.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the motor boat, showing the motor, drum and switch therein. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the truck or carriage. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the current collector. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section through a portion of the current collector. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits, showing the motors, switches and drum included therein.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 33, 1915.

Serial No. 742,044.

Referring primarily to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 designates a motor boat, shown as provided with a floor 2 therein, and an electric motor A, the shaft a of which is equipped with a suitable propeller 5 for driving the boat. A cable winding drum 5 is also journaled on suitable supports 6 extending upwardly from the floor 2 of the boat, 7 designating a three-wire electrical conductor or cable, a portion of which is wound upon said drum, as shown in Fig. 2. The boat is also shown as provided with a mast 8 provided with a guiding eye 9 swiveled on a vertical axis in the top thereof, through which the cable 7 passes, the eye 9 being swiveled to turn so that if it is desired to make the boat follow a circular course, the cable will not become wrapped around the mast 8.

22 designates a pair of parallel track wires arranged at a suitable elevation above the water, and supported at their opposite ends in any convenient way, as by poles or posts on the shore. Mounted to travel on these track wires is a truck, embodying a platform 23 supported by axles 24 having grooved wheels 25, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. B designates a second electric motor which is carried by the truck or carriage and supported by the platform 23 and adapted to receive its current by means of the circuit wires, hereinafter more particularly described. The shaft 26 of the motor B is geared to one of the wheels 25, as shown in Fig. 3, said wheel becoming the traction wheel by which the truck or carriage is propelled along the wires 22. As illustrated, a pinion 27 is fast on the shaft 26 of the motor B, and meshes with a large spur gear wheel 28 which in turn drives a smaller gear wheel 29 on a counter shaft 30 having fast thereon a pinion 31 which meshes with a spur wheel 32 having a fixed connection with the traction wheel 25, so that when the motor B revolves, rotary motion is imparted to the traction wheel 25, causing the truck or carriage to move lengthwise of its supporting track 22.

Suspended freely below the truck or carriage, hereinabove described, is a current I,

' nectedto theconductingiring'll, tllG-imOtOI" tom of the truck or carriage, as shown in Fig. 1. Connected to the central portion of said hanger is a connector ofany usual -or preferred construction, embodying separable plug'and socket members,-bymeans of which the cable 7' is divided into sections at. such point, for enabling the overhead truck .or carriage to-be disconnected from theboat, when required. By the-means described, the weight of the cableis carried 7 by the truck, and thela-t-ter is inturn supvported'by the track 22, thereby removing 20- *collector 28-whichis freely suspendedbelow. the trolley. truck or carriageby means of flexible chains 51.

- Referring; now to the diagrammatic 1 view of- Fig. 6;illustratingi the circuits,.the; winding" drumv5" has an insulating' sleeve 10 encircling one end of itsshaftadapted to have embedded therein conducting rings 10 truck comes OI1S2Lld1"WlIBS 35.

and 11. Bearing upon the conducting ring r conductor 14,.the;remaining terminal of said conductorbeing connected to the pivot of thQESWitChfilGVBI'S A andB. "Bearin'giupon the remaining" conducting ring-is a brush 13 '35.) forming'a terminal'for circuit wires'lfi and 17, .the terminals =of whichare providedwith contacts a. and b-for cooperation with: the; switch :levers: A and'B'C. Connected in.

series Withi the conductorvlfiris' a motor A 4.0

. pelling the same: 355 and '36 represent; the

trolley wires upon which thetrolley wheels; -34 of== the current collector travels. I'laving and 42;. Running from; the. binding post. 43 is aconductor 46l'connected to the-metal;

' drum 5. A- conductor 47 has one -terminal connectedt=to the binding post 44 -and' its remaining terminal connected: to the 51 con f ducting ring: 10. A third 5 conductor 48 1 has one of its terminals connected to theabinding post 43 and its remainingterminalf con-- B being in series therewith. -'1lhe-' intermediate*p0rtions of'the wires-46, 47 and 48 o-=are formed int0 a cable 7, a strand: of" the having a connectionas shown, that one mo- *tor can operate lndependent of the== other,

any appreciable weight from the current.

10 isa brush. 1'2: forming a terminal of: the

which ispositioned inwthe boat for: pro-- z-cable' 7 which is wire 46-,beingconnected;J to the binding post '43. It willbe seen that.

gage the contacts A and B. The advantage of this is that the motor carried by the truck or'carriagecan propel itself, and tow the boat,.or the motorv in. the boat can be energized to propel the boat independent of the carriage. Thus, the boat can be'propelled in a circular path without in any way interfering withthe travel of the carriage.

From the foregoing description, it will now be understood thattheboat has its own .motor, and; the overhead" truck or carriage has: its own or individual motor, and that either. of said motorsmay'be energized independently of the other, or if desired, both motors may be simultaneously energized. .Where. both motors: are, energized, it is unnecessary either for the boat to rtOW the overhead carriage, or vice versa. It will also be'seenthat theweightof the cable '7, which isnecessarily: somewhat heavy, is

borne by the hanger 49 extending downwardly fromand supported by the: main truck. orcarriage, which is inturn supported by the stout, track wires-22. Therefore,- the only burden placed upon the more; delicate currentwirestis that of the current collector which: is freely. swung. below the main truck,

so that-no portion of the weight. of the main 1. Thecombination with apair of electric trolley wiresvand alpair of superposed'supporting cables, of a trolley carriage. comprisinganupper platform travelingon the supporting cables, a: lower. platformahaving a flexible: connection WlthzSELld upper platform and traveling 0T1! the. trolley wires, a

motor. forapropelling-i the upper platform,

and circuit -wires 1 running from: the: lower.

.platform'to the upper platformforssupplying 'currentn to? said motor.

v2; The'combinationrwith azpair-of: electric trolley wires: and a pair ofsuperposed supporting cables, of; a -trolley' carriage come prisingran upper platform, a lower platformhaving; axfiexible connection with; said @upper; pla'tformzand traveling: on the trolley WllGS,; a1. motorufor, propelling: the upper platform, circuitzwiresrrunnmg from the lower: 'platformitozthe upper platform for supplying: current]. to; said motor,. and a U- -.shaped: :cable: supporting: frame; depending from the upper platform. 3...The.combinationzwith aapair'ofelectric wires? and arpairmfiisuperposed supporting cables-,zvofr a: trolley; carriage: comprising an upper: rectangular platform; having wheels at its corners for. traveling .0111 the supp orting :cables, lowerw rectangular: platform having a fiexiblezconnectionwith. said upper platform: and traveling on the :trolley s'wires, 2a motor fori propellingithe lower platform, a gear: connection betweenthe said motor' and onenof thewvheels of said platfomn;,andcir cuit wires running from the lower platform lll to the upper platform for supplying current to said motor.

4. The combination with a pair of electric wires and a pair of superposed supporting cables, of a trolley carriage'comprising an upper rectangular platform having wheels at its corners for traveling on the supporting cables, a lower rectangular platform having a flexible connection with said upper platform and traveling on the trolley wires, wheel carriers positioned at the corners of said rectangular lower platform, certain of which are insulated from the platform, wheels supported in the said carriers, binding posts carried by the insulated carriers, a U-shaped cable supporting frame depending from the upper platform, a motor for propelling the upper platform, a gear connection between said motor and one of the wheels of said upper platform, and circuit wires connecting the binding posts on the lower platform with the said motor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES LAMB. Witnesses:

JOHN D. DU'FFIELD, FRED VANSICKLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

